Developmental abnormalities in the reproductive tract of sows is a common occurrence. These irregularities have not been recognized in Venezuela due to the few ultrasound evaluations made in their clinical diagnose and the lack of such techniques in salughterhouses. Developmental abnormalities of the female reproductive tract can be classified as anatomical or functional. The main anatomical abnormalities are: agenesis, aplasia, hypoplasia or dysplasia of part or of the whole organ. The anatomical defects have also been described as malformations or abnormalities. Malformations are more evident in newborns. The development of these abnormalities in swine is frequent and may be caused by genetic, physical and infectious factors. Possibly, these alterations have an inheritable component that could negatively impact the economy of the farm. The uterus unicornis is a congenital abnormality which is the result of the lack of development of the Müllerian ducts, giving rise to an incomplete or defective uterus. In this condition, only one uterine horn is present, or it is partially absent although both ovaries are present. This reproductive dysgenesis is known as uterine unilateral aplasia and may be complete or segmental. In this study, the presence of anomalies in the reproductive tract of sows was assessed. A total of 522 culled sows from the the Eastern region of Venezuela were studied during one year.
Only 3 animals (0.58%) displayed reproductive malformations consisting of uterus unicornis. Two of them belonged to the young group of females (with 2 to 3 parturitions), while one sow belonged to the adult group of females (with 8 parturitions). It is concluded that the reproductive performance of young sows was compromised.